There are a number of conventional mounting devices for holding fishing rods to gunwales of boats in use at the present time. These mounting devices are specifically designed and devised for attachment to gunwales but will permit the quick removal of the fishing rod after a hit has been determined so that the fisherman will be free to provide unobstructed handling of the rod for reeling the fish in. However, these conventional mounting devices do not lend themselves to being attached to other structure of the boat.
With the recent advent of pontoon boats and more deluxe boats which are provided with railings over major portions of the boat structure, the conventional mounting brackets for fishing rods are unable to be utilized for detachably holding a fishing rod on these railings. The problem is compounded by the fact that railings on pontoon boats and the more deluxe models of pleasure craft by the provision of railings that are either round and cross-sectioned or square and cross-sectioned. Still further compounding the problem is that these railings come in different sizes, for example, round cross-sectioned railings for the most part are either 7/8" or 1" and the square tubing railings have a dimension of 1", 11/8" or 11/4". Therefore, there is great need for a fishing rod holder which not only will accommodate round and square railings but also different sizes of each of these cross-sectional forms.
In the prior art, various patents disclose brackets which detachably support fishing rods to gunwales of fishing vessels. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,222 issued to the same inventor as the present invention and to which the present invention is an improvement, the mounting device for the fishing rod holder is devised solely for attachment to a boat gunwale having flat surfaces. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,564,753, a bracket is disclosed as applied to a boat gunwale having a vertical flat surface. The support for a fishing rod bracket disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,978 is the fisherman's tackle box. Another basic support for a fishing rod bracket is the seat for a boat as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,192,112. There is also a category of devices for supporting fishing rod brackets which are mounted in the ground or in ice. Examples of these are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,033,503, 3,835,568 and 4,261,128.
The present invention has been devised in order to obviate the disadvantages and problems discussed above. The rod holder constructed in accordance with the present invention can be mounted on a boat railing having either a round or square cross-section. The rod holder includes a bracket comprising two major members which are applied to both sides of a railing and held together thereon by suitable screws or nuts and bolts. Each of the major members is formed with semi-circular members adapted to encircle a round railing of at least two diameters. The major members are also formed with a set of abutment surfaces which are adapted to accommodate a square tubing of one size. The members are adapted to accommodate spacer elements of different predetermined thicknesses and arranged around the tubing of different sizes, respectively wherein a spacer having one thickness and the dimension of the corresponding tubing equals the one size provided by the members. By virtue of this arrangement, two sizes of tubing of round cross-section and three sizes of tubing of square cross-section are adapted to be accommodated with a minimum of parts [both major members may be very easily molded from plastic material].
Another aspect of the invention is the provision of an arrangement for permitting the fishing rod to assume additional angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the fishing vessel to which it is mounted. One of the major members of the mounting bracket is provided with a plurality of pairs of spaced bores into which a rod restricting member may be inserted. With the rod restricting member inserted in one pair of bores, the fishing rod may extend 90.degree. relative to the longitudinal axis of the fishing vessel. Another set of bores will permit the angularly positioning of the fishing rod 45.degree. relative to the longitudinal axis and facing the rear of the vessel. Still another set of bores will permit 45.degree. angular relationship of the fishing rod relative to the longitudinal axis but facing the bow of the fishing vessel.
Therefore, it is an important object of the present invention to secure a rod holder to a railing of a fishing vessel regardless of whether the railing is of round or square cross-section.
Another important object of the present invention is to secure a rod holder to a railing of a fishing vessel wherein the railing may have different sizes of tubing construction.
Another important object of the present invention is to increase the flexibility to which a fishing rod may be angularly related to the longitudinal axis of a fishing vessel for enhancing the success of a fishing expedition.
The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features thereof.
The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein: